Mast-hoop.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.-

' R. W. VAIL. MAST HOOP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

- fiu erdofs -/%%m 4,

UNITED STATES,

ROBERT W. VAIL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAST- Hoop.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,718, dated May 12, 1903. Application filed J'auuary 27, 1902 Serial No. 91,492. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. VAIL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Mast- Hoops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mast-hoops; and its object is to provide a device of this character of simple and effective construction whereby the sail may be readily secured to the mast without lashing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mast-hoop which will permit the sails of small pleasure-craft to be readily disconnected for storage over night, thereby preventing damage to the sails by mildew.

The hoop-sections in the present invention are made up of connected segments of wood and metal, thus reducing the expense ofmanufacture and enabling the end portions of each section to be made of brass or other heavy metal and the body portions thereof of wood, thus affording the requisite strength and at the same time providing a light and durable hoop.

The construction of the improvement will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mast-hoop embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the hinged side of the hoop.

Corresponding parts in both figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

The hoop comprises two semicircular sections, each consisting of a metallic portion,

- (designated, respectively, by the referenceletters 0 and D,) a wooden segment-E, and a metallic socket, (designated, respectively, as G and The metal portions 0 and D are hollow and closed at the'ir meeting ends A and B, and one of said portions 0 is formed with projecting parallel ears Xand Z, between which is pivotally secured, by a pin V, a lug Y, projecting from the portion B of the adjacent section. The ears and lug just referred to are rounded to permit a limited pivotal movement of the two sections on the pin V in opening and closing the hoop. The ends of the wooden segments E adjacent the metal segments 0 and D are reduced to fit within the latter, and said metal segments 0 and D are formed with flanges S and R, overlapping the wooden segments and secured by rivets s, as shown, arranged transversely and at right angles to the rivets 1, which secure the reduced portions of the wooden segments within the hollow metal segments 0 and D.

G and H designate hollow metal segments, into which the forward ends of the wooden segments E fit and are secured by'suitable rivets, and each of said segments G and H is formed with a projecting arm N and P, said arms having registering openings, one of which may be threaded to receive a connecting-screw Q. The inner faces of the arms N and P are recessed to form a space it to receive the lulf-rope of the sail and rounded surfaces 0 to bear upon opposite sides of the said thimble, which is held between the arms and has the screw Q extending therethrough.

The utility of the device constructed as above described will be readily understood. A sufficient number of the hoops are passed around a mast, and the sail-thimbles are held between the rounded surfaces of the arms, the screws Q passing through said thimbles.

" It will be obvious that the wooden segments are firmly secured within the hollow metal segments of the hoop sections and that a mast-hoop of light yet strong and substantial construction is provided.

' Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent A mast-hoop comprising two hollow metallic segments hinged together, two wooden segments having their rear ends secured within the adjacent ends of the hinged sections, two frontmetallic hollow segments secured to the front ends of the wooden segments and provided with integral projecting arms formed with registering openings andu'ecessed on their inner faces to form a space I or the lufirope, and rounded surfaces on opposite'sides of the openings, and a screw fitting said openings, the same being adapted for securing the arms together.

ROBERT W. VAIL. Witnesses:

ELIZABETH A. VAIL, WILLIAM PRIoE, Jr. 

